Always
by theatrchy2004
Summary: Futurefic. Fifteen years down the road, Mr. Schuester needs his Glee kids more than ever. Various pairings including Puckleberry!
1. The Call

_Notes: Set 15 years down the road. The Glee kids are about 30 years old. Also, in this fic, Tina's stutter was real. Cuz seriously, who fakes a stutter?_

PLEASE R&R!

* * *

Tina was numb. Mr. Schue had just told the news. She closed her office door after he left and just leaned against it, sliding down to the floor slowly. She sat like that for about five minutes before pulling out her cell phone and dialing.

* * *

"Dammit." Artie wiped a drop of mustard off the case he was reviewing. His desk phone beeped. "Yes, Lisa?" He was irritated. He had asked not to be disturbed while he took lunch.

"Sorry, Mr. Abrams, but there's a Tina Cohen-Chang on the line for you. She insists it's an emergency."

Artie frowned. Tina was the only friend from highschool he kept regular contact with. Even so, they weren't as close as they'd been back then, but there was a bond that couldn't be broken with his Glee teammates. They had weathered so much together before they even realized what real life was going to be like.

"I'll take it." Lisa hung up and Artie picked up the phone. "Abrams here."

"Artie? It's T-T-T-Tina."

* * *

"Tina? Hey girl!"

Mercedes set her keys on the kitchen counter. She'd just walked in the door, getting home from her shift at the hospital. She hadn't even gotten a chance to change out of her scrubs. "Hey, Kurt! It's Tina!"

Kurt kept his breath steady, holding his Tree Pose by the balcony windows.

"Mercedes, you know I can't be disturbed during my yoga time. It totally messes up my flow."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Nevermind him, Tina. He's being a diva." She ignored the huff of indignation that escaped her roommate's lips. "What's up?"

"Merc-c-cedes," Tina began.

Mercedes furrowed her brow. Tina had gotten rid of her stutter years ago, back in high school.

"I've g-g-got bad n-news."

* * *

"What does that mean?" Brittany hid behind the water cooler, hoping her co-workers wouldn't notice her taking a personal call.

Tina sighed on the other end of the line. "It means he's sick, Brittany." The blonde's complete lack of understanding on the situation had forced Tina to focus, so she was in control of her stutter again.

"How sick?" the former Cheerio asked.

Tina swallowed a lump in her throat. "Real sick," she choked out. Her throat was dry. "Listen, Britt. I'm kind of tired now. Do you think you could contact some of the others?"

"I only use the contact paper when our laminator is on the fritz, I swear," Brittany countered defensively.

"No, Britt just… call them."

"Oh, I can do that."

"Thanks."

* * *

Santana kicked off her pumps and sat down on the couch in the green room. She always needed a littler breather before going on the air, especially after covering that new school opening today. Those little kids had given her a migraine.

Just as she took a sip of her coffee, the sounds of "Jenny from the Block" rang from her phone. She sighed then smiled when she saw it was Brittany.

"Hey, Brittany. What's up?"

Brittany was sniffling on the other end. "It's bad, Santana."

Santana was immediately concerned. A lot of things had changed since high school, but Brittany's naïveté had not been one of them. "What's bad?"

"It's Mr. Schue. He's lukewarm."

The Latina's concern turned to confusion. "Lukewarm? What are you talking about?"

"The cancer. He's got the lukewarm cancer."

"You're not making sense Brittany. There's no such thing as lukewarm cancer."

"Well, that's what Tina said."

"Lukewarm, lukewarm…" Santana pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to work out what Brittany actually meant. "Luke… Do you mean leukemia, Britt?"

There was a pregnant pause before the blonde admitted, "She might have said that."

Santana fought the sick feeling in her stomach. "Well, shit."


	2. The Meeting

It was three days later when Tina waited anxiously for the others to arrive. Brittany, another Lima local was there, and Kurt and Mercedes had already arrived from Chicago. Tina was grateful. She never had company over, so playing hostess was a bit foreign to her. Kurt and Brittany were laughing over food preparations in the kitchen while Mercedes helped Tina arrange extra seating in her living room.

When the doorbell rang with the first guest, Kurt hurried over to answer. "Well, helloooo Mr. Top Eight."

Tina and Mercedes heard their friend greet the guest in a flirty tone. They exchanged smirks before going to greet the guest themselves. Sure enough, it was Mike, the closest thing to a celebrity the former gleeks had in their ranks. Mike had made it to the Top Eight on "So You Think You Can Dance" shortly after high school, and had enjoyed a career as a professional dancer and choreographer since then.

Mike was grinning back at Kurt when Mercedes descended upon him, sweeping him up into a big hug.

"Hey Mike!" she practically yelled in his ear.

"Mercedes, hey," he greeted coolly. "Tina."

Tina smiled at the "Other Asian" as Coach Sylvester had crudely addressed him back in high school. "Hey, Mike." She hugged him.

It wasn't long before Brittany bounded in, practically bubbling over at Mike's arrival.

* * *

Within an hour, most of the former gleeks had arrived.

Mercedes couldn't help but notice that Kurt practically hung off of Mike. He was doing his best to impress Mike and Matt with his mechanical knowledge of cars. Kurt may have been as gay as they come, but thanks to his mechanic dad, he loved cars and knew his way around an engine.

Tina and Artie were speaking in hushed voices over near the kitchen, leaving Mercedes to converse with Brittany and Santana.

When Quinn arrived, everyone went to hug her and wanted to know everything about her life in Atlanta. Santana was the only one she'd really kept in touch with, though it was obvious that their relationship was still tenuous.

"Well, that's ¾ of the club," Mercedes announced. "Where is everyone else?"

"Finn's on his way," Kurt delicately swept his bangs off his forehead. "He wanted to drop his stuff at Dad and Carole's before heading over here."

"And here he is," Finn announced as he walked in the door Tina had left open for her remaining guests. "Hey guys." He gave them all a lopsided grin. "Hey man." He hugged Kurt.

There was no more awkwardness between them anymore. Kurt had decided it was in everyone's best interest, especially his own, to abandon his hopeless crush on Finn when his dad married Carole Hudson that summer after junior year. Now they just seemed like, well, brothers.

"Hello, Finn," Kurt patted his step-brother's back.

After all the other greetings were completed, some jovial, some awkward (especially Quinn's), Kurt piped up, "Well, I guess Miss Diva decided not to show. Typical."

"Actually," a strong voice countered from the doorway, "Miss Diva is here."

They all turned to see Rachel Berry with her definitive shark-like smile.

Kurt's nose twitched. "Fine. But what about Puck?"

As if on cue, Puck nearly bowled Rachel over rushing in the door.

"Whoa, sorry, Berry. Didn't see you there." He reflexively reached out to steady her.

When he noticed he was greeted by silence, he looked up to see almost everyone (Rachel was huffing and puffing, haranguing him on the importance of watching where one is going) staring at him in mute disbelief.

"What?" He looked behind himself then back at the group.

"You have hair," Kurt was the first to speak.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Let's do this."

* * *

"He's so young. How could this happen?" Quinn tried not to sob as they discussed Mr. Schue's predicament.

"It can happen to anyone, no matter what age," Mercedes explained, her "doctor voice" on.

"It's just not fair," Brittany sniffled. "Is he gonna die?" A painful silence fell over the group.

"Let's not think about that," Rachel took the lead as usual. "Let's focus on the positive. Tina, when does Mr. Schue start treatment?"

"He was admitted into the hospital yesterday."

"Excellent," Rachel plowed on. "Mercedes, you're the medical professional amongst us. What kind of treatments can Mr. Schue expect?"

"Well, chemotherapy and radiation for sure. Hopefully, that will wipe the cancer out."

"And what can we do for him?" Rachel asked.

Mercedes pursed her lips into a thin line. "Be the for him. He's going to need as much moral support as he can get."

"The Glee kids are arranging a bone marrow drive," Tina informed them. "They're too young to donate themselves, but if it comes to it, Mr. Schue may need a transplant."

"How do we sign up for that?" Puck asked.

"They're still working on the details, but I'll let you know when it will be," Tina answered.

"What about his family? Siblings are usually the best match, right?" Mike asked.

"He has his parents," Finn piped up. "He's an only child though- no brothers or sisters."

"What about Miss Pillsbury?" Santana asked.

Finn winced. "Terri dragged him through divorce court by the balls. By the time all was said and done, Emma had had enough."

"I remember that," Rachel spoke softly. She was the only original gleek still at McKinley when Mr. Schue's divorce was finalized. "He must be lonely." Rachel Berry had always known what loneliness was.

"Well, this is just goes to show that we're going to have to put on our show best and be there for Mr. Schue and his family," Kurt sat with his hands resting on the knee of his primly crossed legs.

"And show the new kids what Glee is all about," Mercedes agreed.

* * *

_Okay, I know this chapter was kind of boring, but it's all about the exposition. More to come later!_


	3. Processing

_Okay, first I want to thank everyone for all their subscriptions and reviews to this fic! I'm so excited at the response to this fic, especially since it's still kind of in that boring exposition phase. This chapter will continue in that direction, but then next chapter should start to pick up the pace! _

_Please R&R!_

* * *

At the end of the evening, they all went their separate ways. Puck was pulling out of his parking spot when he noticed Rachel walking down the street.

"Hey, Berry!" he rolled down his window, driving up beside her. "You walked all the way from Kansas City?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Noah," she tossed her hair, "but it is a twelve hours drive. I just had to stretch my legs before they fell asleep."

Puck just shook his head. He would never understand where Rachel got her vast amounts of energy. "Come on. Lemme give you a ride," he opened the passenger side door for her.

"I'm afraid I must decline. It's really not that far, and I really do need the exercise if I want to stay svelte." Rachel turned to continue her walk.

Puck growled and parked his car again. He jumped out and slammed the door behind him. He jogged up to Rachel then fell into step with her. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

Rachel finally spoke. "You really don't have to do this, Noah."

"Sure, I do. One of these days you're not going to have me around and then next thing you know you'll get mugged or bludgeoned to death or something."

"That's lovely, Noah," the brunette grimaced. "I'd also like to point out that I've done just fine without you since high school, and have not had to report one single incident to the police."

"Whatever, Berry."

"Nevertheless," she smirked, "the gesture is appreciated."

After another few moments of silence, Rachel spoke again. "My dad's told me about your mom." Puck bristled. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I got your card and the cookies," his voice was gruff.

She looked up at her companion and squeezed his hand gently as they walked. For a brief moment he squeezed back.

"Well, here we are," Rachel announced. "I told you it wasn't far."

"Let me walk you to the door."

The front door swung open before they reached the front step.

"Mommy! You're back!" A pajama-clad four-year-old tackled Rachel. She easily scooped the child up.

"Hey there, Sunshine! Why aren't you in bed?"

"Cuz I got a super long nap in the car. Guesswhatguesswhatguesswhat?! Granddaddy made cake for dessert!"

Rachel groaned. "_That's _why you're up so late." Shaking it off, she continued, "Dani, this is my friend, Mr. Puckerman. Can you say 'hi'?"

Realizing there was a stranger amongst them, Dani suddenly turned shy, nestling her head into her mother's neck. Chocolate brown eyes peered out from underneath Rachel's chin. "Hi."

Puck gave her the smile he reserved for small children and those times he was truly happy. "Hi, Dani. Nice to meet you."

"Thank you for walking me home, Noah. Are you going to be okay walking back to your car?"

He chuckled. "Like you said, it's not far."

Rachel smiled. "It's good to see you again, Noah." Her hands full with preschooler, the brunette made her way inside to put her little girl to bed and yell at her dads for spoiling her with sugary treats so close to bedtime.

Puck shook his head, making his way back to his car. _Berry has a kid. How about that?_

* * *

Mercedes pulled into the Hummell-Hudson driveway to drop Kurt off.

"Okay, Miss Thang," Kurt turned in the passenger seat. "What's going on with you?"

"What are you talking about?" Mercedes was tired. It had been a physically and emotionally taxing day.

"You've been quiet all night, and you haven't said a word since we left Tina's."

"Kurt, let it go."

The effeminate man observed her for a moment. "Your doctor brain knows something we don't."

She sighed. "I really don't want to get into it right now," she eyed him, "and it would only worry you."

"Lay it on me."

"Look, Acute Myelogenous Leukemia is pretty nasty. Like 23% survival rate nasty."

Kurt puckered his lips forward slightly, but otherwise maintained a poker face. "So it's bad."

"It's bad. More than likely he's going to need a bone marrow transplant, but then he faces a 50/50 chance of grast vs. host."

"What's that?"

"Well…Like, you know how with a kidney rejection, the body rejects the kidney?"

"Yeah."

"It's like that, but the opposite. The new marrow would reject _him_."

"So it's hopeless," Kurt's voice was small.

"I didn't say that. It's just… Mr. Schue's got a long road ahead of him."

They sat in silence a moment, absorbing the reality of the situation.

"My mom has lymphoma. That's kind of like leukemia, right?"

Mercedes nodded. "They're both blood cancers."

Kurt wiped an errant tear from his cheek. "I don't want that to happen to him."

"Me neither," Mercedes rubbed his shoulder.

It didn't take long for Kurt to gather up all his luggage from Mercedes' car and make his way into the guest bedroom in his dad's house. (His basement had long ago been converted into a craft room for Carole.) It had two beds, but thankfully Finn wasn't home yet.

Kurt skipped his nightly skin regimen, collapsing onto the bed nearest the window. For the first time in years, Kurt cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Finn shoveled another handful of cheesy fries dipped in ranch dressing into his mouth.

"God, Finn, didn't you get enough to eat at Tina's?" Quinn asked from across the table.

"How's that pie treating you?" Finn grinned back at her after swallowing.

The ex-Cheerio blushed. "Shut up. I eat when I'm stressed."

"Me too."

Quinn turned and looked at her and Finn's reflections in the diner window. They'd changed a lot over the years. Quinn's hair was no longer a golden blonde, and Finn just looked tired.

"It's been a long time since I've been here," she observed.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you in a long time. Where'd you end up going to college?"

"OSU, just 'cause in-state schools were all I could afford. Once I graduated I got as far away as possible."

They ate in silence, both knowing that the reason she'd left was probably somewhere in town, living a hopefully carefree life.

"You see your family?" Finn asked.

"My sister keeps me posted but… no. I can't remember the last time I saw my parents."

"That sucks."

"If their love is so conditional, maybe it's for the best," she spat. "Have you seen her?" she continued, softer than before.

"Huh? Who?" Quinn gave him a _You Know_ look. "Oh. Honestly, I don't know. I don't even know who you adopted her to."

"It's why I moved away."

"Yeah. I didn't move far, but Indiana seems just as good a place as any."

"You and Mr. Schue are still close."

"Yeah. He's like the dad I never had," Finn explained. "Burt's cool and all, but Will's the one who's been there for me the longest."

"He was going to raise my baby," Quinn stated, mostly to herself.

The former Frankenteen choked on his fries in a dramatic fashion. Quinn rolled her eyes. Finn gulped down his soda to calm his coughing.

"Wh-what?"

"Terri wanted me to give her my baby so Mr. Schue wouldn't find out she wasn't really pregnant. Used my sonogram and everything to fool him. Crazy bitch," she grumbled.

"Wow." Finn stared off into space. "That's just… wow."

"And you say _she _dragged _him _through divorce court?"

Finn winced. "Yeah. When Terri found out about Emma, she flipped. Made everything his fault."

"She didn't deserve him."

"No kidding. You gonna eat that?" Finn eyes the half a slice of cherry pie on Quinn's plate.

The Ice Queen's glare was back in full force. "Yes." She hovered her fork over her plate in a threatening manner.

"Okay, okay," Finn tried not to cower. He chuckled nervously. "It's like you're pregnant again."

"I'm not."

"Yeah, I know."

"Don't even joke about that."

"Sorry."

There was a heavy pause in the conversation while they ate.

"I'm not comfortable around kids," Quinn explained. "It's why I work with the senior centers, though now and then their grandkids will visit."

"What is it you do?" Finn asked.

"Physical therapy and personal training. I teach a few fitness classes here and there too. It's nice; setting my own hours and it pays well."

"Cool."

"How about you?"

"Oh, nothing special," Finn waved it off. "That's neat though. Helping old people walk and stuff."

Quinn laughed. "You really are a doofus, you know? Most of my clients can walk and more. I've got one guy, Mr. Evans, who just finished a marathon. He's sixty-seven."

"No way."

"Way. He did pretty well too. He and his family did it together to support his daughter who has… Finn, that's it!" She swatted excitedly at his arm.

"What, what'd I do?" He was paranoid.

"Mr. Evans did that marathon to raise money for an organization that works towards a cure for some kind of cancer! Finn, that's what we should do!"

Finn gave her that charming little half smile that was all his. "That sounds great, Quinn. I'm in. Do you think we can get the others in on it too?"

"They will _not_ be able to say no." Quinn had that glint in her eye. Finn knew that glint; it was mote often found in Rachel Berry's chocolate brown eyes than in Quinn's sky blue ones. One thing was sure though: like Rachel, once Quinn made up her mind about something, there was no turning back.

* * *

_Anyone looking for something like Quinn is talking about should check out_ .org/ !


	4. Coffee and Hospitals

Thanks for the reviews everyone! So sorry it's been so long since my last post, but I'm so happy to see so many of you following this fic!

* * *

The next morning found Rachel in the cancer ward waiting room bright and early. As she suspected she was the first to arrive at the arranged meeting place that morning. She'd been there for the better part of an hour, researching Mr. Schue's condition on her laptop while Dani played with her coloring books and puzzles on the floor by Rachel's feet.

Rachel did not like what she was seeing. Now she understood why Mercedes was so quiet last night. She hadn't wanted to upset everyone. Rachel decided she would keep quiet as well.

"Smile. When you're smiling," she sang quietly.

"The whole world smiles at you," her daughter finished for her.

"Very good, baby," Rachel beamed at Dani.

"She's your daughter alright," a rich baritone spoke from behind her.

Rachel gasped, turning to see Puck standing there, two cups of coffee in his hands.

"Noah, you scared me half to death," Rachel scolded softly.

He just smirked. "I knew you'd be here already; thought you'd like some company. Coffee?"

Rachel quirked her mouth up to the side. "I suppose it wouldn't be completely irresponsible if I had one cup of vocal-cord drying beverage. There isn't any cream or sugar in it is there?"

"Nope. I like it black, and I figured you could add whatever you might want in it."

"Black is fine, thank you," she took the cup and blew on the piping hot liquid. "Sugar and dairy are known phlegm producers, you know."

Puck rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Berry." He turned his attention to the pint-sized Berry on the floor. He sat in the chair near her. "Hi, Dani. Do you remember me?"

Dani smiled shyly, glancing up from her coloring book. "Mr. Puckmann."

"Puckerman, sweetie," Rachel corrected her.

Puck chuckled. "Tell you what, why don't you call me Puck?"

"Noah!" Rachel objected. "I will not have you encouraging delinquent behavior in my child!"

Puck laughed. "How is calling me Puck 'delinquent behavior'?"

"Such lack of respect for authority figures is the first step down the road to chaos."

Puck practically guffawed at this. "Lighten up, Berry. Okay, how about this? She can call me Mr. Puck."

Rachel considered this. "Fine, but only until she masters the pronunciation of your name."

He rolled his eyes at her again and winked at Dani, who giggled.

"Hey guys."

Rachel, Puck and Dani looked up to see Mike and Matt approaching.

"Hey," Puck stood and shook both their hands before sitting back down.

"Well, I figured Rachel would be here already, but this is a surprise, Puckerman," Matt sat across from him. "And who is this?" he smiled, indicating Dani.

"This is my daughter, Dani," Rachel introduced. "Dani, say good morning to Mr. Rutherford and Mr. Chang."

"Morning," she chirped.

This triggered Matt to launch into a conversation with Rachel over their kids, both whipping out their iPhones to show off their family photos.

Mike settled in the seat next to Puck.

"You stay with Rutherford last night?" he asked the dancer.

"Yeah. He's about thirty minutes outside of town, but it sure beats a motel."

"I hear you. This spring in my back at Larry's Motel kept me up most of the night."

"No wonder you're here so early."

"Yeah," Puck's gaze fell on Rachel. This did not go unnoticed by Mike, but he decided not to comment.

* * *

Quinn and Finn were the last to arrive at the hospital.

"And where were you last night?" Kurt asked his stepbrother.

"Quinn and I were still hungry so we went to Missy's Diner."

"Uh huh."

"What? It's the truth," Finn declared vehemently.

"Okay, everyone," Rachel's voice announced over the group. "The hospital will only allow four people in the room at a time to see Mr. Schue, so we'll have to go in three separate groups. I've compiled a breakdown of who will be in each group, should we find it necessary."

"I think we can handle it," Artie stated. He was a bit perplexed by how much RTachel hadn't changed since high school. It was like a blast from the past.

"Excellent," she grinned. "Now I don't want to appear selfish, so I won't insist on being in the first group to go in. Do we have any volunteers?"

Warily, Mike and Tina raised their hands.

Eying Mike, Kurt announced, "I'm in."

"Well, if my boy Kurt's in…" Mercedes stood up.

"Excellent. Mr. Schue's room is down the hall. Turn right…" Rachel rattled off directions to Mr. Schue's room. Within minutes, the four were off to see their ailing mentor.

Finn leaned over to whisper in Quinn's ear. "I thought you were going to announce your marathon idea."

"I crashed when I got back last night. I want to be informed when I present it. Plus," she grimaced, "I forgot about Artie."

"Oh, right. Ouch."

"Yeah."

"Rachel's kid sure is cute though. Dontcha think?" Finn had always been easily distracted.

"Yeah. Real cute," Quinn frowned.

* * *

Will decided he'd had enough "Three's Company." John Ritter was a great comedian, but you could only take so much Chrissy.

_At least he went quickly, though, _Will thought bitterly about the late great comedian. He'd only been admitted to the hospital two days ago and he was already tired of waiting. Not that he planned to let this thing get him, but he could already feel the effects of his chemo. Just as he clicked the TV off, there was a knock at the door. One of his nurses, Claudia, stepped in.

"Mr. Schuester, there are some people here to see you if you're feeling up to it."

He grinned. "Please! Send them in! Anything to cure me of my boredom."

Claudia smiled and opened the door wider, letting the person behind her in.

Tina entered the room with two folders full of papers in her arms. "Well, if grading these Spanish papers doesn't keep you busy, I don't know what will."

Will gave a defeated head bob. "Tina, you wound me," he declared dramatically, a hand to his chest.

His former student laughed. "Well, if it helps, I brought a surprise to distract you before you get to those." Having placed the papers on his bedside table she hurried back to open the door. Mercedes, Kurt and Mike filed in.

"Oh my god! You guys!" Will's grin nearly split his face in half.

"Heeey," Mercedes grinned and hugged him.

"I didn't know you guys were in town," Will proclaimed.

"Well," Kurt began, a small toothless grin on his face, "Tina alerted us all to what was going on. We decided it would look bad on you if we completely abandoned all your lessons on teamwork at a time like this."

"This is great, you guys," Will could not wipe this grin off his face.

"The rest of the old gang is here too," Tina explained, "but they'll only let a few of us in at a time."

"Wow. So, Kurt, Mercedes, I haven't seen you since the reunion, what, three years ago? You guys still out in Chicago?"

"Still in Chicago and loving it," Mercedes grinned.

"Of course, I'd never be able to afford it and maintain my exquisite wardrobe on my own. Thankfully, I have my sugar mama for that," he smiled affectionately at Mercedes.

"I keep _trying_ to find him a sugar daddy, but he's just so damn picky," Mercedes joked. Everyone laughed while Kurt attempted to look offended, though he couldn't help but smirk because it was the truth.

"And, Mike!" Will turned to the 'Other Asian.' "I haven't seen you in years except on TV. How've you been?"

Mike smiled. "Good, busy. When I'm not touring I'm in rehearsals or choreographing another project. I'm glad I was able to get some time off to be here."

"What are you working on now?" Kurt asked eagerly.

"It's a new project on Broadway. We just started rehearsals. Don't wanna say too much though; might jinx it." He winked at Kurt.

"Sounds great," Will's enthusiasm shone brighter than the sun.

"And how are you feeling?" Mercedes asked soberly.

"I'm fine," Will insisted. "The nurses here are great and my doctors are optimistic."

"That's great, Mr. Schue," Mike smiled. Tina smiled too, but Kurt and Mercedes had to force theirs.

* * *

Rachel had stepped out onto a balcony she found to get some fresh air. She heard the glass door behind her slide open. She turned her head and smiled. "Hello, Finn."

"Hey," the former Frankenteen gave her a lopsided grin and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I just needed to get some fresh air. The recycled hospital air is very drying," Rachel insisted.

"Yeah. It smells like old people in there." Finn looked around. "Where's Dani?"

"Brittany and Santana are watching her. They took her to the play room on the fourth floor. Brittany was quite excited about it."

Finn chuckled. "It's just so weird, you having a kid."

"I'm thirty years old, Finn. People much younger than me have children."

"Well, yeah, but just, I dunno. You're Rachel." The brunette sighed. "When do we get to meet your husband?"

"I'm not married, Finn."

"Oh, sorry." There was an awkward silence. "I guess I just figured he'd watch her while you were here. Doesn't seem right for a kid to be in a place like this."

"Justin's not exactly around. He pays child support, but doesn't really get involved."

"That sucks."

"It's not so bad. I lived with my dads for awhile when she was first born, but then moved to Kansas City and found a great daycare program. I can't believe she's in preschool now."

Finn grinned. "She looks just like you, Rach."

Rachel laughed lightly. "She saw a picture of me once when I was about her age. It was taken with my cousin, Linda, who's a couple of years younger than me. She said, 'Mommy, look! I know that's me, but who's that baby?'" They laughed together.

"Hey guys, what's up?" a voice interrupted. They looked over to see Puck leaning in the doorway. Finn's smile disappeared, but Rachel's only grew.

"Noah, come join us," she waved him over.

Puck glanced at Finn then back at Rachel. "Yeah, sure." He lazily strolled over to stand next to Rachel, opposite Finn.

"Actually, I have to go talk to Quinn about this thing. I'll catch you guys later." Finn made a hasty exit.

"He just can't wait to be rid of me," Puck commented once Finn was out of earshot.

"Well, you did sleep with his girlfriend," Rachel pointed out.

"Details, Berry. Besides, I was sixteen, what did I know?"

"I would think you would know to at least use a condom," Rachel used her lecture voice.

"So you're telling me Dani was part of your plan to make it big on Broadway?"

She was stunned to silence. Puck wished he could take back what he said; the hurt was evident in Rachel's eyes. "Sorry," he muttered.

"You should be," he voice was barely above a whisper. "You've no right to judge my actions after-"

"After what? What I did in high school? We aren't in high school anymore, Berry, and you know I tried to make good on my end of the situation."

"I know. I'm sorry. I overreacted. I just … I hate it when people think I just gave up on my dreams, or didn't have what it takes. It's not true. I made a choice. Dreams change." She held his gaze in silence a few moments. "I'm going to hug you now."

"Oh, um, okay." Puck patted her back awkwardly when she wrapped her arms around him. He tried to ignore the way his pulse rushed at the verbena lavender scent in Rachel's hair.

When she pulled out of the hug, Rachel ran he hands over his bare arms (it was a hot day in Lima). "Your arms are still lovely," she gave him that slightly psychotic, 'What's she up to?' grin before turning and flouncing back into the hospital.

Puck just blinked, a smile slowly forming on his face.

* * *

Please R&R! I'll try to get the next installation up sooner!


	5. A Blast from the Past

_Getting ready to post the next chapter and realised there was one little detail I had to correct in this chapter in order for the next one to make sense. Sorry for the repost! Chapter 6 coming soon!_

_

* * *

_Quinn had declined to join Brittany and Santana in taking Dani to the playroom. She was uncomfortable enough around the toddler without adding more of them to the situation. She stared at the vending machine, willing the high-sugar, high-fat snacks to magically transform into something healthy and delectable.

"If you stare long enough you might bore a hole through the glass. Then you could choose from any of them."

Quinn turned her head and looked down at Artie who was patiently waiting for her to make her decision.

"You'd think a _hospital _would provide healthier snacks," she complained.

"Unless they want their healthier visitors to make poor food choices, thereby leading them to illness, thereby landing them in the same hospital so said hospital can bill the hell out of their insurance and the patient to boot."

Quinn quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm looking into it," the lawyer shrugged.

The blonde laughed and sat in one of the nearby chairs, allowing Artie to select a Snickers bar. "He says as he chooses one of the unhealthiest choices available," she teased.

"Peanuts are a great source of protein," he defended as he rolled over to her.

"Ever the lawyer."

He grinned, unwrapping his sugary snack.

"Artie, I had an idea, but I wanted to talk to you about it first. I was going to suggest we all join Team in Training. They organize marathons and the like where people can fundraise for leukemia and raise awareness about the disease. I was going to suggest it, but then…"

"But then you remembered I was in a wheelchair and couldn't possibly run a marathon?" Quinn nodded. "Quinn, do you not realize you are looking at a two-time Ohio Special Olympics Wheelchair Race Champion? Not only that, but I actually participated in the Cincinatti Marathon last year. They let me wheel alongside the runners."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Now I don't know if I'll be able to run in this marathon, but if it's something that might help Mr. Schue, then I'm all for it. And I'll have you know," he leaned forward, "I'm an expert fundraiser."

"Thanks, Artie. God, I feel like such a doof. I should know you'd be able to participate, what with my line of work. I guess most of my clients are so old, and were never that physically active in the first place. Marathons are the last thing on most of their minds."

"It's okay, Quinn," Artie insisted.

"I'd better go find Finn and let him know the plan is on," the blonde grinned, bouncing up from her seat. "Catcha later."

His mouth full, Artie waved with his Snickers bar.

Quinn bounded around the corner only to run head first into someone. "Oof," Quinn rubbed her forehead.

"Oww," the other party whined from the floor where she'd fallen back.

"Sorry…" Quinn spoke. The rest of her words were frozen in her throat, though, when she got a good look at the girl she'd just bowled over.

It was a Cheerio with light brown hair pulled back into a ponytail that trailed curls down her back. Her uniform revealed her lightly tanned skin and taut muscle tone. The girl was beautiful, but what really caught Quinn's attention were the girl's eyes. Her piercing green eyes were staring at Quinn like she was a slow child.

"Hello, are you okay?" the girl asked. When Quinn didn't answer again, the girl's eyes grew wide. "Omigod, I gave you a concussion. Nurse! Nurse!" she placed her hands on Quinn's shoulders in an attempt to steady her. "Omigod, please don't die."

Quinn firmly grabbed the girls hands and removed them from her person. "I'm fine," she choked out.

"Are you sure?"

_No_, Quinn thought, but she answered, "I'm fine, I just… you remind me of someone is all."

The girl rolled her eyes. "I always remind people of… Mr. Schue looked at me like that first day of classes too."

"You know Mr. Schue?"

"Um, duh," she tossed her ponytail. "I'm only the Vice President of New Directions."

"Sorry," Quinn stuttered. "I'm from out of town."

"Oh, well, hi," the girl held out her hand and smiled. "I'm Audrey Greene. How do you know Mr. Schue?"

Quinn shook the girls hand quickly then let it go as if it were on fire. "I was in New Directions too, a long time ago."

Audrey narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, I thought you looked familiar."

"Hey Audrey!" a voice called. "Over here!"

"Gotta go," Audrey smiled sweetly. "Maybe I'll see you around." She pranced off, leaving Quinn dazed and confused.

"Hey," Finn walked up. "Did you talk to Artie?" Quinn didn't answer. "Quinn?"

"Yeah, I talked to Artie. We're on for the marathon. I gotta go," she hurried away.

Finn shook his head. "Girls, man."

When Tina, Kurt, Mike and Mercedes arrived back in the waiting room, Tina was bombarded with the attention of two teenage girls.

"Ms. Cohen-Chang," the Cheerio began, "we _have _to see Mr. Schue. We need him to give a speech for the Marrow Drive."

"Audrey, Mr. Schue can't leave the hospital during his treatment, you know that."

Audrey rolled her eyes and tossed her hair. "Duh, hence the camera."

The redhead next to her held up a digital video camera. "My dad let me borrow this once he deleted a bunch of stuff off of it. I think he makes sex tapes with his girlfriend." She adjusted her glasses.

"Well, Mr. Schue has some company today, but maybe you can see him later if he's not too tired."

"Is that who all these people are?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, actually. Hey, guys," Tina called the others. "Come meet some current gleeks."

"Gleeks?" the girls asked in unison.

"Glee club wasn't as cool back in my day as it is now," Tina smirked.

"Audrey, Linsel, these are a few of the original members of New Directions: Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones and Mike Chang. Guys, these are a couple of our students, Audrey Greene and Linsel Anderson."

The group all made their greetings before taking seats.

"So who's next?" Kurt asked casually as he buffed his fingernails.

"Who knows?" Mercedes commented. "Where is everyone anyway?"

"Well I ran into one of your people in the hallway," Audrey stated. "Like, literally."

"You either ran into them or you didn't run into them. You can't 'like' run into someone," Linsel commented.

"Fine," Audrey was exasperated. "I totally ran into her. She said she was fine, but she got all freaked out and ran off."

"Who did you run into?" Mike asked.

"Some blonde."

"Dumb blonde or just blonde?" Tina asked.

"I don't know. Not like we had much of a conversation."

"Probably Brittany then," Kurt stated.

"Be nice, Kurt," Mercedes scolded through a smile.

"Okay, group one your time is up!" Rachel burst into the waiting room. "Time to gather up group two."

"I'm afraid your plan is thwarted, Rachel, as only group one seems to be present," Kurt stated.

"Rachel Berry?" Audrey exclaimed.

"Yes. Can I help you?" Rachel had no idea why a Cheerio was so excited to see her.

"Omigod," the brunette rushed over to Rachel. "Ms. Berry, I have been studying your performances since 5th grade. You are the reason I joined glee club."

Rachel beamed. "Well, thank you. I'm glad I've been able to inspire you to follow a path that leads you to music."

At that moment, Puck and Artie entered the waiting room from opposite directions.

"What's going on?" Artie asked.

"I'm having a stroke," Kurt could not pull his eyes away from the eneregetic exchange between Rachel and Audrey.

Puck stopped in his tracks when he saw Audrey. Tina watched carefully as a thousand thoughts and emotions played across his face: shock, joy, anger, concern. He locked eyes with Tina and crossed over to her.

"Where's Quinn?" his voice was gruff and urgent.

"I don't know," she replied nervously.

"You see it too?"

"Yeah. I see it." She had seen it the day she met the girl. There was no doubt that Audrey Greene was Quinn and Puck's daughter.

Summer in Ohio was hot as Hades. Fortunately, Quinn was used to the heat in Georgia, so this was a cool breeze in comparison.

She lit up her cigarette and inhaled deeply. It had been over a year since she had smoked, but she needed something to calm her nerves right now. Everything she'd fled from in Ohio was attacking her at once.

His unmistakable shadow fell across her field of vision.

"You've seen her?" Quinn asked, her voice void of emotion.

"Yeah." Puck crossed in front of her and sat on the bench. "Can I bum one of those?"

She wordlessly passed over the pack of cigarettes and lighter. Puck lit up and they smoked in silence a few minutes.

"She has your eyes," Quinn commented.

"She has your smile," Puck added.

"This is why I didn't want to come. I knew there was a chance… I just wanted to forget." Quinn took one last drag before stomping out her cigarette.

"I never wanted to forget. It just hurt too much," Puck said. "Why do you think I ended up in Seattle?"

Quinn smirked. "Seattle? Isn't that where people grow soul patches and read poetry in coffee shops? I never thought you were the type."

Puck chuckled. "I play in coffee shops sometimes, but I don't do that poetry shit. I don't have a vagina." Quinn rolled her eyes. "Besides, it rains there, like, all the time. I like the rain."

"I like the sunshine."

Puck smiled at her. "That's because you are sunshine."

"You can be sweet when you're not being a jackass," Quinn's eyes twinkled.

"And you're pretty cool when you're not being a total bitch."

Quinn laughed out loud. "You know, it's too bad we had to go and complicate things by having a baby together. You're a pretty good friend, Puck."

"I could've been more if you'd have let me."

"No, you couldn't have, not with the way you carried a torch for Man-hands."

"Berry? Are you kidding me?" Puck stiffened.

"Oh please, Puck," she laughed. "We all saw it. You two were always too stubborn to do anything. We should've just locked you in a closet together."

Puck huffed.

"There you are!"

Quinn and Puck turned to see Rachel storming toward them, Dani in her arms. "Well, you've missed your chance to be in group two, so you'll be with me and Finn in group three. Noah!" she gasped. "Smoking? Really?" She snatched the cigarette from his mouth and stamped it out. "There are impressionable teenagers in there looking up to us, not to mention my daughter!"

"Chill, Berry. It's not like I gave the kid a cigarette."

"That's not the point, Noah!"

Quinn barely contained her laughter watching Puck and Rachel interact. They still bickered like a married couple, even after all these years.

After ranting a bit more, Rachel stormed back into the hospital, instructing them to be ready to visit Mr. Schue in thirty minutes.

When she finally left, Quinn burst out laughing.

Puck sulked. "Just wait till you see how our daughter idolizes her, then we'll see who's laughing."

Quinn groaned. "Where are those cigarettes?"


	6. Old Ties, New Bonds

_Okay, so I know a lot of people have been asking where Sam and some of the others are, and wondering about Quinn and Puck's daughter. Keep in mind that I started writing this before season 2 started and I was so displeased with the spring portion of season 1 that I picked and chose what I would actually use from that stint of continuity. Hence Puck and Quinn's daughter not being named Beth and hence Sam and the others not being part of the the gleeks. That being said I am working some of the new characters into the story in different ways, so read on!_

* * *

When Puck returned to the waiting room he found it empty except for Finn. He thought about hightailing it out of there. His former best friend had never forgiven him for his sins in high school. Why should he expect forgiveness now?

_Screw it, _he thought. Finn could hate him all he wanted, Puck was past it. Hudson would just have to grow a pair and deal. He sat directly across from Finn.

"Look, _dude_," he began, "you can hate me all you want it isn't going to change what happened.

Finn glared at him.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm over Quinn, and as far as I can tell, so are you."

"This isn't about Quinn," Finn finally broke his silence. "You really don't see it, do you?"

"See what?"

"Rachel. You don't see the way she looked, no, looks at you. Like you're the best thing since sliced bread."

Puck shrugged. "So Berry has the hots for me. What chick doesn't?"

"Dude, she's like in love with you! You're the reasons she and I didn't work out. She was never fully there. A big part of her was always devoted to you."

Puck frowned. "Berry doesn't need to be with a guy like me."

"No shit."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Puck smirked.

Finn sighed. "Look… I know I'm not being fair. I know I've changed a lot since high school, we all have. You probably have too. I just… I can't help but see the mohawked ass-hat that ruined my life in high school whenever I look at you. I'm sorry." And with that he got up and left.

* * *

Kurt was the epitome of stoicism on the park bench. His Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses shaded his eyes from the sun and a flamboyant sun hat shielded his skin from damage. The floral fan in his hand, however, did little to create a breeze in the Ohio heat and humidity.

Mercedes walked over from the swing set where Mike was playing with Dani. "You look like my grandmother," she told her friend.

"Then your grandmother must have a perfect complexion and an appreciation for the damage UV rays can do."

Mercedes just shook her head and smiled. Kurt had more balls than any straight man she'd ever met.

"So you know you're doing it again, right?" she started.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mike, Kurt. It's obvious you're into him, and as usual you're coming on too strong."

"I haven't done anything inappropriate!"

"Not yet. I know you, Kurt. Besides, I thought you were into that guy, Blaine."

Kurt stiffened. "Blaine wasn't interested in me the way I was interested in him."

"Oh Kurt, I'm sorry. Why didn't you say something?"

"And admit another failure?"

"It's not a failure. You can't control who others love anymore than you can control who you love."

"I'm just tired. I know the chances of Mike ever being gay much less into me are slim to none, but you must admit he's nice to look at."

Mercedes chuckled. "That he is."

"And the _body._ Have you seen the body?"

This time his friend laughed out loud. "Come on, let's go play with Dani."

Kurt grimaced. "I suppose I can be civil to Miss Diva's spawn," he sneered before tucking his fan into his bag.

* * *

Contrary to their reputation, cigarettes made Quinn quite hungry so she found herself in the hospital cafeteria.

"May I join you?"

Quinn looked up to find Rachel hovering over the table with her own tray of food. She smirked. "You know, once upon a time I'd have made you squirm for asking that question."

Rachel smiled nervously. "I'm feeling a bit squirmy now."

"Sit." Quinn indicated the seat opposite her.

They ate in silence a few minutes.

"Where's the kid?" Quinn asked.

"Mercedes and Mike took her to play in the park nearby. I think Kurt went with them." She nibbled on her lettuce. "It's funny, you all hated me in high school and now no one can seem to get enough of Dani."

"We didn't hate you."

Rachel quirked and eyebrow.

"Okay, I didn't hate you."

Rachel lifted both eyebrows.

"Fine. You weren't my favorite person, but I never hated you. If anything I was jealous of you."

"Which part were you jealous of exactly? The daily slushy facials or the constant harassment in the form of pornographic graffiti in the public restrooms?"

Quinn gave Rachel a pointed look. "Not that part, obviously. Just… how you handled it all. You never compromised yourself just to make life easier. I always admired that. I was too chicken shit to ever leave the Cheerios or do anything other than fit the mold that was supposed to be Quinn Fabray in everyone's eyes." She took a bit of her sandwich. "And here you are again, besting me at my own game."

Rachel crinkled her brow. "What do you mean?"

"I bailed. I gave my daughter up for adoption, but here you are raising Dani all on your own. I didn't have the strength to do that."

Rachel grasped the blonde's hand. "Quinn, you did the right thing. You were 16 years old. You couldn't have given her the life she needed back then. No 16 year old can. I was 25 when I had Dani. I was an adult. A young adult, sure, but still and adult. I made the choice to raise Dani myself and that was the right decision for me and for her. You made the right choice for your daughter. You did what was best for her, and that makes you a good mother."

Quinn wiped some tears away with her hand.

"She's beautiful, Quinn," Rachel continued.

Quin laughed through her tears, taking the napkin Rachel offered her. "Is it that obvious?"

Rachel smiled. "If Audrey Greene isn't your daughter, I don't know who is."

* * *

Puck was thumbing through a Sports Illustrated when Audrey and her friend Linsel entered the waiting room. Linsel said something to Audrey before wandering off elsewhere with the video camera. The Cheerio crossed the waiting room and sat near Puck, grabbing a Cosmo off the table.

Puck was suddenly very alert and had trouble concentrating on his magazine. He was overjoyed to have found her, yet his heart ached at the years he lost watching her grow up. Having his child taken away from him was one of the most painful things he'd ever experienced. He wanted to know who she was, how she liked the family that raised her, what her favorite color was… he wanted to know everything. But he couldn't. He didn't even know if she knew she was adopted. He could taste blood in his mouth from biting his tongue so as not to put his foot in his mouth.

After a few minutes, Audrey put her magazine down. "Excuse me," she started, "I know this might sound totally weird, but were you in New Directions too?"

Unable to find his voice Puck just nodded.

"You had the Mohawk, right? And you sang all those songs with Ms. Berry?"

"Berry and I sang some songs together, yeah."

"I'm sorry, but you are like 10 times hotter than you are in the videos."

Puck blanched. This was not happening. His daughter was _not _harboring a crush on him.

When he didn't respond, the girl turned bright red. "Sorry," she started. "You probably have a girlfriend anyway."

Puck felt awful. He hadn't meant to embarrass her. "Look," he started, "you're very pretty, but you just turned 15 last month and this whole line of conversation is entirely inappropriate."

Her brow furrowed. "How do you know when my birthday is?"

Thankfully their conversation was interrupted by the second group returning from Mr. Schue's room.

"Alright, loser," Santana practically spat at him, "it's your turn."

"Perfect timing!" Rachel burst through the opposite doors with Quinn trailing her. "Okay, Noah, you'll be joining Quinn, Finn and myself now. Where is Finn?"

"I'm here," he walked up behind the brunette.

"Excellent. Shall we?"

Rachel led the other three down the hall to Mr. Schue's room.

* * *

Ever since Babygate, things had been tense between Rachel, Finn, Quinn and Puck. There was a complexity in their relationships to each other that was never truly acknowledged, but silently understood. Hanging out with Mr. Schue again, though, that tension seemed to melt away. They talked and laughed and sang together as though nothing had happened.

They'd just finished the final verse of Mr. Schue's favorite, "Don't Stop Believing." Mr. Schue couldn't wipe the grin from his face if he'd tried.

"Wow, you know," he began, "I'm really proud of you guys. You're all obviously doing really well."

"It's all thanks to you Mr. Schue. I don't think we would have ended up where we are today without your guidance," Rachel stated proudly.

Mr. Schue shook his head. "I can't take all the credit. Each of you had a lot of potential for success. I just guided the way."

"Still, we're grateful," Finn smiled.

"Rachel, the others can't stop talking about your daughter," Mr. Schue continued the conversation. "I'd love to hear all about her."

Rachel's grin widened. "Of course," she whipped out her iPhone and pulled up some pictures. "Her name is Danica Ann Berry and she's the best thing that ever happened to me."

Mr. Schue looked at each picture in the phone, from Dani's infancy to the present. Finn and Puck huddled behind him as best they could to get a view too. It did not slip Puck's notice that Rachel had chosen a good Jewish name for her daughter.

Mr. Schue chuckled. "Rach, she looks just like you."

"Thankfully she's not quite as headstrong as my dads say I was at that age."

"Was?" Puck quirked an eyebrow.

Rachel blushed. "I've mellowed!"

"Uh huh," Puck winked.

"Honestly, Noah," she crossed her arms and practically pouted.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Get a room, you two."

That was all it took to send Rachel into another tirade about impropriety. Quinn presented counterarguments while the men just laughed.

"Okay, okay!" A voice carried over the hubbub. "I think that's enough fun for now. My patient needs his rest."

It took a minute for the men to stop laughing but the women stopped their bickering immediately.

"I'm sorry, doctor, but this woman had no sense of decency and decorum. Shouldn't you be screening your patients' guests for this type of thing before admitting them into the hospital?" Rachel ranted.

The blond doctor smirked. "I'm just a resident, but I'll mention it to my attending. She has some sway with the hospital board."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up. "A resident! No offense, Dr…"

"Evans," he supplied.

"No offense, Dr. Evans, but Mr. Schue requires the best care medicine can offer him. I'm sure you're a very good doctor, but I would feel much better if –"

"Rachel!" Mr. Schue interrupted. "Dr. Evans is a fifth year resident and one of the best this hospital has to offer."

The brunette eyed the doctor up and down. "Fine," she conceded. "But if I sense any monkey business, you will be hearing from me."

Dr. Evans chuckled. "I don't doubt it." He passed between Rachel and Quinn. "How are you doing Mr. Schuester?"

"Great, actually," Mr. Schue beamed. "These are some of my former students, come to cheer me up." He started to point at each of them, making introductions. "Finn Hudson, Noah Puckerman, uh, you've met Rachel Berry, and this is Quinn Fabray. Guys, this is Dr. Sam Evans."

Dr. Evans perked up at the sight of Quinn. Had he not been attacked by Rachel the minute he walked in the door he would have noticed her immediately. She was beautiful. He shook each of their hands, lingering on Quinn a moment longer than necessary. He didn't miss her blush.

After a few minutes of small talk, Dr. Evans regretfully informed the group that visiting hours were almost over. They each bid their adieu to Mr. Schue before making their way back out to the waiting room. Each group had spent so much time with their mentor throughout the day it was now dark out. Audrey nearly threw a fit when she learned visiting hours were over and she and Linsel would have to make their film another time. Everyone shushed her as Dani was sleeping on Mercedes' lap.

Before everyone left, Quinn proposed the idea that they join Team in Training. Everyone agreed that it was a great idea and decided they would discuss it next time they were all together again.

Puck followed Rachel out to her car. "Want me to carry her? You look tired," he offered.

Truth be told, Rachel was tired. She'd been up since 5 a.m. after precious little sleep the night before. "Thank you, Noah, but I'm fine."

He stood by and watched as she settled the sleeping toddler in her car seat. He couldn't explain the sudden rush of emotions he'd experienced in the last 24 hours, being in her presence again. There was always something about Rachel Berry that sparked something inside of him. Maybe it was because she was the first person to really believe in him, or perhaps it was her infectious energy, or her enormous talent, or maybe simply because she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. Whatever the reason, he was addicted to Rachel Berry and had been suffering major withdrawal symptoms over the years.

Rachel closed the car door gently and gasped when she turned around to find Noah standing so close. "Noah, you startled me." When he didn't answer she crinkled her brow, searching his eyes. "Noah?"

Noah gently pressed her back against the car, one hand on the car behind her, the other gently weaving through her hair tilting her head up. Rachel's breath caught in her throat. Before she could catch it again, she felt Puck's lips on hers. She instinctively kissed back. There was no denying the fireworks. She felt his tongue request entry into her mouth. She gladly granted it.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel herself getting swallowed up in emotion, losing herself in Noah. She pulled away forcefully, gasping for breath.

"I'm sorry," she pushed him off of her. "I can't do this right now."

His expression remained stoic as his impossibly green eyes bored into her warm brown ones.

"I'm sorry," she blurted again before hurrying over to the driver's side and getting into the car, the door slamming behind her louder than she'd intended. Luckily Dani still slept through it.

Later that night, as she lay in bed, she could still feel that kiss. It seared her to the very core of her being. She'd forgotten how much she missed Noah Puckerman. Hell, she'd forgotten how much she missed the touch of a man at all. She hadn't been intimate with a man since Dani was born.

_Stop thinking like that, Rachel Berry, _she scolded herself. _You came here for one reason and one reason only. To help Mr. Schue._

Tired of arguing with herself, she finally allowed herself to succumb to sleep. That didn't stop one Noah Puckerman from visiting her in her dreams, though.

* * *

_Well that was unexpected, even for me! Myabe these two kids will get together sooner than I'd anticipated. Please R&R!_


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